Can T’ai Chi Keep You From Going Crazy: T’ai Chi and the Physical and Mental Health of College Students

A group of several scientists from the Department of Physical Therapy of Georgia State University conducted a study published in The American Journal of Chinese Medicine* and Medicine and Sport Science** to assess the mental and physical health in college students and whether the practice of T’ai Chi could improve their overall health.

Students attended an hour long T’ai Chi class twice a week for 3 months that included 10 minutes of warm up exercises followed by 50 minutes of T’ai Chi instruction and practice. Their levels of physical and mental health were measured using a health survey questionnaire (SF-36v2) before and after the intervention.

Assessed physical parameters included physical function, body pain, and general health. The mental assessment included perceptions of one’s vitality, mental, emotional, and social functioning. What the researchers found was that both physical and mental balance improved over just 3 months or 24 T’ai Chi class sessions. This was particularly noticeable in the mental health arena.

College age students, being younger, tend to be somewhat healthier physically than older adults. Mental health can be a different deal though. The stresses surrounding college life can be quite significant, and students tend to be less experienced in healthy mechanisms to cope with this. The findings that T’ai Chi noticeably improved the students’ perception of their mental balance is therefore quite significant. My own experience as a college student learning T’ai Chi was that the practice was quite calming and balancing, in fact, an emotional lifesaver!

Good, deep, restful sleep is like a cool draught of spring water to someone wandering in a baking desert. Our stressful, harried lives require good quality sleep, yet our ability to achieve these deep states seems to be slipping.

In the UK, one third of the population report that they suffer from insomnia and, according to a 2002 poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, 58% of adults in the U.S. experience symptoms of insomnia for at least a few nights each week.*

Prevalence and Etiology Insomnia appears to be more common in women; however the quality of sleep often deteriorates with age in both men and women. Additionally, insomniacs often experience fatigue during the day, fall asleep at work or have difficulty concentrating, poor memory, and can experience irritability. Persons suffering from insomnia can also wake up frequently during the night, have problems going back to sleep, wake up too early, and often feel tired following sleep.

Health conditions such as high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and menopause; medications, drugs, poor nutrition, bad habits such as over-consumption of caffeine and alcohol, pain or other physical discomfort, shift work, negative emotional states such as anger, OCD, and depression, even the anxiety about sleeping well itself can contribute significantly to the degradation of your sleep quality.

T’ai Chi Can Improve Sleep In research conducted by Li F, et al. of the Oregon Research Institute and published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, the ability of T’ai Chi to improve the quality of sleep was studied in a group of older adults. 118 men and women, ranging in age from 60 to 92, were randomly delegated to either a T’ai Chi or a low impact exercise class meeting for one hour, three times a week for six months. The two groups exhibited the same sleep duration at the beginning of the study. At the conclusion of the trial, the T’ai Chi practitioners showed significant improvement in sleep quality compared to the low impact exercise group as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The T’ai Chi-ists were able to fall asleep 18 minutes faster each night and slept 48 minutes more than the exercise group. The researchers concluded that “Tai chi appears to be effective as a nonpharmacological approach to sleep enhancement for sleep-disturbed elderly individuals.”**

How does this work? The researchers did not postulate the mechanisms involved in the improvement of sleep quality through the practice of T’ai Chi. However, with several decades of practice and teaching under my belt, I am willing to hazard a few guesses about this:

It is well known that moderate exercise and relaxation are helpful in the reduction of hypertension. Qigong (Chi Kung), with its gentle movements and coordinated breathing patterns, might seem to be an ideal exercise candidate for reducing blood pressure. Calming, centering and mildly aerobic in the sense of continuous conscious breathing, qigong has obvious benefits in promoting a relaxation response. But does it actually lower blood pressure?

There have been several interesting medical studies done on this question. BM Cheung, et al of the University of Hong Kong conducted a randomized controlled trial to study the effect of Guolin qigong on blood pressure. 88 patients with mild essential hypertension were recruited for a four month qigong and exercise program. they found at the conclusion of 16 weeks of training that their patients had lowered their blood pressure by an average of 11 points. they also found that “General health, bodily pain, social functioning and depression also improved…”*

MS Lee, et al did a study of 58 volunteers with essential hypertension split into a qigong group and a control group to investigate the efficacy of Qigong as a non-pharmacological treatment. After 10 weeks of qigong training both systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure significantly decreased. The researchers observed “a significant reduction of norepinephrine, epinephrine, cortisol, and stress levels” in the Qigong group. The authors conclude that “these results suggest that Qigong may reduce BP and catecholamines via stabilizing the sympathetic nervous system. Therefore, Qigong is an effective non-pharmacological modality to reduce BP in essential hypertensive patients.”**

Reporting in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine, Lee’s group of researchers also noticed improved breathing among the qigong patients participating in this study. “The ventilatory functions, forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume per sec., were increased in the Qigong group but not the control. These results suggest that Qigong may stabilize the sympathetic nervous system” and improve “ventilatory functions in mildly hypertensive middle-aged patients.”***

In an study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion and the US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was undertaken to determine the health benefits of Qigong, including various T’ai Chi forms. T’ai Chi is a more recent moving form of the ancient practice of Qigong. This article deals specifically with results pertaining to osteoporosis and the ability to recover bone density.

The usual recommendations for increasing bone formation and strength are resistance and weight bearing exercise. Although Qigong does not usually involve significant resistance in the muscular sense, and only nominal weight bearing, four separate studies revealed positive effects on bone wellness. This was particularly noticeable in post menopausal women. Bone loss was slowed and fractures were less common. One study showed improved bio-markers for bone health. More specifically, bone density actually increased in women. Additionally, H H Chen showed that a 12 week program of training in The 8 Treasures (Baduanjin qigong) showed significant improvements in bone mass compared to a control group.

This results may seem counter-intuitive for practitioners steeped in the western allopathic model. How can bone mass increase with no resistance training and only minimal weight bearing? This one of the very many mysteries to the western mindset of these ancient Taoist practices. It may very well be possible that these outcomes are related to the stimulation of the endocrine system via the channeling of vital energy (qi, chi) through the chakras, which have partial control over the functioning of the endocrine glands. We study this in some depth in our advanced levels of Tantric Qigong training. (c) 2013 Keith E. Hall and www.inner-tranquility.com All rights reserved.

Scientists from Bastyr University have completed a randomized, controlled clinical trial study researching the effect of qigong therapy on type 2 diabetes. The findings show qigong may help lower some of the markers associated with type 2 diabetes..

The study compared qigong practice with resistance exercise training and a control group with type 2 diabetes. The qigong group practiced for 1/2 hour, two times a week for 3 months and also met with a certified instructor one hour a week for instruction. The progressive resistance group performed resistance exercises for the same duration as the qigong group while the control group followed routine, normal care as recommended by their physician.

Measurements of fasting blood glucose levels were taken before, during, and at the conclusion of the trial, and hormone levels and stress and depression were measured.

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Results showed the qigong group had significantly lower levels of fasting blood sugar and stress, as well as less insulin resistance. Participants in the resistance training group and the control group had higher levels of blood glucose. These findings indicate qigong therapy affects glucose levels and insulin resistance independent of changes in body weight and works on different mechanisms than “normal” exercise.

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According to the study’s principal investigator, Dr. Guan-Cheng Sun, “It is thought that the meditation, slowed movement and breathing exercises associated with qigong promote relaxation and reduce stress, which may improve how the body functions. Qigong may also play a role in restoring the mind-body connection and the harmony between the pancreas and the liver. The conclusions of this study promote qigong therapy as a significant treatment method for type 2 diabetes. These findings have the potential to change and improve the lives of millions who live with this disease everyday.”

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Whether one looks at qigong practice and diabetes from an endocrinology paradigm, or that of the chakras, balance seems to be at work here. This is in alignment with my experience of these Taoist arts – glands and organs with too much energy seem to “donate” their surplus to those areas “starving” for more energy. The end result is a better balance in all the systems of the body, mind, and emotions. (c) 2012 Keith E. Hall and Inner-Tranquility.com. All rights reserved.

In a study published February 9, 2012 in the New England Journal of Medicine, a randomized, controlled trial to determine whether a T’ai Chi course could improve postural balance in 195 patients with Parkinson’s disease was conducted.

During this period China in general, and qigong in particular, were strongly influenced by the migration of Buddhism from India. Some may consider aspects of Taoism to be spiritual, even religious, and this may be so in that Taoism has a deep reverence for the processes and cycles of nature. The Sage would observe these cycles and endeavor to be in harmony with them. These Taoist practices and philosophies do have much in common with pantheism and animism and so could be considered also to be a spiritual or religious paradigm, depending on the individual’s mind-set. In terms of qigong practice and intent however, the Early historical period had as its main focus the development of health and wellness.

Exactly when Buddhism reached China is open to some debate. Some scholars date this as early as 65 – 68 AD during the reign of Emperor Ming Ti (Mingdi, The Enlightened Emperor, Liu Zhuang). Ming Ti allegedly had a dream of a “Golden Man”. When he related this dream to his ministers, Zhong Hu told him that he may have dreamed of the Buddha. Ming Ti then sent messengers led by Cai Yin, Qin Jing and Wang Zun to seek knowledge of Buddhism in India. On their return from India, they carried with them an image of Gautama Buddha along with some Buddhist Sutras. As an indication of his continuing commitment to Buddhism, the Emperor initiated the construction of the White Horse Buddhist Temple within the same year. During this period many of the Buddhist and Taoist principles and practices were mingled and became more unified.

The Taoist hermit Zhang Dao Ling (Chang Tao Ling) was known for combining traditional Taoist principles with Buddhist precepts. Zhang Dao Ling lived around 34 – 156 AD and claimed that Lao Tzu had empowered him to teach the way of the Tao. The system that grew out of this is now known as Dao Jiao (Tao Jiaw) and is a form of religious Taoism. Zhang Dao Ling built a spiritual following in Szechuan province emphasizing the achievement of immortality. Legend has it that Zhang physically ascended into heaven and from this event and his teaching efforts grew the branch of religious Taoism known as the Celestial Masters school.

The renowned saint Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who lived sometime around 400 – 500 AD and is often credited as being the patriarch and importer of Zen (Chan, Dhyana) to China. Most accounts agree that he was a Brahmin from southern India, or perhaps of a warrior caste. After he became a Buddhist monk, Bodhidharma is said to have traveled via the Silk Road through various eastern countries eventually reaching Northern China. One of the techniques Bodhidharma was said to have introduced is sometimes known as “wall gazing”, a practice of meditation that involves simply staring at a wall. This is similar to some forms of what is now called zazen. One story about Bodhidharma is that he retreated into the wilderness after being rebuffed by the Emperor where he practiced wall gazing for nine years. It was said that he fell asleep seven years into his practice of wall gazing and he cut off his eyelids to prevent it from happening again. According to this legend, the eyelids he cut off hit the floor, withered, and became the first tea leaves. From this time on, tea would be used as a stimulant to help keep Zen students awake during their meditations. (A little green tea could help one focus and stay awake – snoring is soooo disruptive to other students. I don’t recommend cutting off your eyelids.) During this general time Tibet had begun to develop its own form of Buddhism and it is likely that this also influenced Chan Buddhism to some degree.

The Buddhist temples of the period were thought to have taught Qigong practices, perhaps focusing on the forms of stilling the mind experienced in the meditation techniques of Chan Buddhism or Zen. It was postulated that these forms of qigong could lead to Enlightenment and escape from the cycle of reincarnation. During this time, the principles of Zen Qigong were reserved for monastic training and generally kept secret from the public.
Qigong during this time
- was kept secret within the monasteries
- was greatly influenced by Chinese and Indian Buddhism
- could be considered a path to Enlightenment
- presented a new level of challenge, combining the wellness paradigm of earlier Taoist practice with a more spiritual intent
- characterized by an increased efficiency of qigong practices (c) 2011 Keith E. Hall Inner-Tranquility.com . All rights reserved.

Early Historical Era of Qigong
I term this period the Early Historical Era of Qigong as there are well known texts associated with it, unlike the Pre-historical period, which centers on the semi-mythical figure of the Yellow Emperor (Xuanyuan Shi),. The practice of Qigong is firmly imbedded within the ancient Taoist philosophy of life, flow, and wisdom. Thus, it is helpful for both the curious and the committed Qigong practitioner to understand the its philosophical underpinnings.
I Ching
Known as the Book of Changes, the Classic of Changes, and Zhouyi, the I Ching(Yi King, Yi Jing) is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts. Sometimes attributed to the mythical figure Fu Xi or Fu Hsi around the time of the Yellow Emperor, it is one of the foundations of all Taoist practices including Qigong and T’ai Chi. The I Ching was one of the first texts describing the flow of Chi (Qi). It introduced the concept of the three natural energies: Tian (Heaven), Di (Earth), and Ren (Man). Studying the relationship of these three powers was perhaps the first step in the development of what was eventually to become Qigong.

King Wen (1152 BC – 1056 BC) is often thought to be the historical figure who shaped the early practice of divination by “stacking” the eight trigrams (ba gua) into the sixty four hexagrams currently used for divination and philosophical meditation. Wen is also said to have written the analysis or judgements appended to each hexagram. The line analyses are attributed to his son, the Duke of Zhou. The commonly used sequence of the sixty four hexagrams devised by King Wen is usually referred to as the King Wen sequence. Confucius (K’ung-tzu, K’ung-fu-tzu, Kong Qiu, Zhong Ni, Kǒng Zi 551 BC – 479 BC) is traditionally said to have written the Shi Yi (Ten Wings), a group of commentaries or appendices to the I Ching some 500 years after King Wen. The I Ching did not appear in a scholarly form in the West until James Legge’s initial translation in 1854.

The hexagrams of the I Ching are visual focal devices to aid in meditation upon the philosophical concepts embodied within each of the hexagrams. The philosophy centers around the ideas of balance through the interplay and unification of opposites, and acceptance of change. It can be said that the core philosophy of the I Ching is embodied in the three concepts of Change, Ideal, and Discernment.

The Tao Te Ching and Lao Tzu
According to Chinese tradition, Lao Tzu (Lǎozǐ; Lao Tse, Lao Tze, Lao Tu, Lao-Tsu, Laotze, Laosi, Lao Zi, Laocius, Laozi) lived sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BC and was possibly a contemporary of Confucius. Many people consider Lao Tzu to be the father of historical Taoism based on the many surviving ancient copies of his work, the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing). Tao Te Ching is sometimes translated as “The Classic of the Way and the Power (or Virtue)”. In 1993, the oldest known version of the text, written on bamboo tablets, was found in a tomb near the town of Guodian in Jingmen, Hubei, and was dated to be older than 300 BC.

A central precept of the Tao Te Ching is Wu Wei, literally “non-action”. The concept of wu wei can be confusing to the Western mind; it can mean “not doing”, “not forcing”, “not acting inauthentically”, “creating nothingness”, “acting spontaneously”, and “being in the flow.” “Action through non-action” is another term for Wu Wei, essentially meaning “to be in harmony with the Tao”.

The Tao Te Ching values direct experience of wisdom and the world gained through being present. Through this knowledge, one learns humility and one’s place in creation.

Knowing others is wisdom;
Knowing the self is enlightenment.
Mastering others requires force;
Mastering the self requires strength;
He who knows he has enough is rich.
Perseverance is a sign of will power.
He who stays where he is endures.
To die but not to perish is to be eternally present.

In the early 1970s, at the Mawangdui Tombs in Changsha, Hunan Province, Chinese archaeologists found a silk Dao Yin picture, the earliest known painting of Qigong movement. Dating to approximately 168 BC, the Daoyin tu consists of forty-four illustrations of figures practicing Qigong, with accompanying instructions. The exercises involve standing in specific stances to cure corresponding illnesses.

Characteristics of Qigong practice during the Early Historical Era were:
- Qigong for health maintenance
- Medical Qigong to cure illness
- Non-religious Qigong, i.e. there was little or no spiritual or religious overtones to its practice. (c) 2011 Keith E. Hall Inner-Tranquility.com . All rights reserved.History of Qigong: Part 1, Part 2,Part 3, Part 4

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The 8 Treasures system of Tantric Qigong (Ba Duan Jin, 8 Brocades) can be learned by almost anyone, regardless of his or her physical condition. Practicing these simple exercises results in increased vitality, flexibility, mental focus, and alertness. Tantric Qigong will noticeably reduce stress levels, and is a gentle non-impact aerobics routine for cardiac and respiratory health.

The class will employ elements of Taoist and Bioenergetic practices. Classes also include aspects of T’ai Chi, pranayama (conscious breathing) and meditation for creating a relaxed body and mind. You will learn to develop your vital energy and personal power to nourish your mental, physical, and spiritual health. Upon completion, you will be eligible for certification.